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Finley McPhee

I’m Finley McPhee. Finley sounds just like it’s spelled: FINN-LEE. I grew up in a far northern part of Scotland in a small village. I live a modest life with my parents, brother, and best friend Patches (who also happens to be a dog).

Before the Lily family came to Applecross, I spent most of my time fishing in a secret hiding spot by the river. I guess I spent a little too much time there and not enough time at school, because I failed my grade for being absent too much. My dad forced me to work for Reverend Prospero until the next school year. That’s when everything changed…

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Doug

My brother Doug is, well, a lot different than me. He is big, tall, athletic…and not very smart. He is also is obsessed with girls. Even though we don’t have a lot of things in common, he isn’t a bad person and sometimes we get along great.

Patches

Patches is my loyal dog, who is a lot like me. We are both inquisitive and curious. I actually consider him more of a best friend than a pet. Although Patches can be a little skittish, he is usually very brave.

Aiby Lily

Aiby’s family owns the Enchanted Emporium. One of her ancestors opened the first shop in 868 in China. Aiby is very smart and mysterious. Not only is she smart, she is easily the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Her favorite phrase is, “No one can know everything,” and she enjoys teaching me what that means.

Locan Lily

Locan is Aiby’s father. Locan is very mysterious and unpredictable. I’m not sure if he likes me or not, but he isn’t rude or mean to me, so I’ll go along with it.

The Reverend

Reverend Prospero is a harsh but fair leader in our community. He is a war veteran who believes hard work and volunteering in your community are important. He knows a lot about pagan Scottish beliefs, but also about new-world spirituality.

Meb

Meb is the dressmaker in my community. She is pretty, helpful and smart.I have a feeling we are going to be good friends for a long time…

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The Enchanted Emporium is a business that sells, buys, and repairs rare and magical items. Every item housed in the shop is studied, researched, and cataloged in the Big Book of Magical Objects (BBMO). The problem is, magical objects attract all sorts of people—including those who want the magical items for sinister reasons. That’s why the Emporium is owned by seven families who take turns running the shop. This way, only one family is at risk at a time.

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Have you heard of Cinderella's glass slipper? What about Sinbad the Sailor's Flying Carpet? In this world, there are many magical items -- but only one place where they're safe: the Enchanted Emporium. For centuries, seven families have competed for ownership of the Emporium -- and some of them are willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on the powerful items housed within. Only Aiby Lily and her friend, Finley, have what it takes to stop the Emporium from falling into the wrong hands.

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Pierdomenico Baccalario

I was born on March 6, 1974, in Acqui Terme, a small and beautiful town of Piedmont, Italy. I grew up with my three dogs, my black bicycle, and Andrea, a special girl who lived five miles uphill from my house. During my boring high school classes, I often pretended to take notes while I actually wrote stories. Around that time, I also met a group of friends who were fans of role-playing games.Together, we invented and explored dozens of fantastic worlds. I was always a curious but quiet explorer.While attending law school, I won an

award for my novel, The Road Warrior. It was one of the most beautiful days of my entire life. From that moment on, I wrote and published my novels. After graduating, I worked in museums and regaled visitors with interesting stories about all the dusty, old objects housed within. Soon after, I started traveling. I visited Celle Ligure, Pisa, Rome, Verona, London, and many other places. I've always loved seeing new places and discovering new cultures, even if I always end up back where I started. There is one particular place that I love to visit: in the Susa Valley, there's a tree you can climb that will let you see the most magnificent landscape on the entire planet. If you don't mind long walks, I will gladly tell you how to get there...as long as you promise to keep it a secret.

Iacopo Bruno

I once had a very special friend who had everything he could possibly want. You see, ever since we were kids, he owned a magical pencil with two perfectly sharp ends. Whenever my friend wanted something, he drew it and it came to life! Once, he drew a spaceship and we boarded it and went on a nice little tour around the galaxy. Another time, he drew a sparkling red planethat was very similar to the Red Baron's, only a little smaller. He piloted us inside a giant volcano that had erupted only an hour earlineer. Whever my friend was tired, he drew a big bed. We dreamed through the night until the morning light shone through the drawn shades. This great friend of mine eventually moved to China.